House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City) by Sarah J. Maas
Bryce Quinlan has it all — an apartment in Crescent City, her best friend for a roommate, even a new boyfriend. But when her closest friends are all the victims of a gruesome murder, Bryce finds herself alone and unable to move on.
Hunt Athalar has nothing but the wings on his back and the enchanted tattoos that bind him to slavery. Forced to work as an assassin for the corrupt Archangels, Hunt is no stranger to violence, but he’s never seen anything like the murder of Bryce’s friends. Surely a crime this vicious had to be committed by a demon, but what kind, and who summoned it?
When more mysterious deaths befall Crescent City, Bryce and Hunt both realize that whoever, or whatever, killed Bryce’s friends has only just begun. Solving the crime won’t be easy. Bryce and Hunt don’t exactly get off to the best start, but they’re going to have to put their differences aside to stop the killer and put an end to the terror that is lurking around every corner of the city. Meanwhile, Lunathion’s politics are in turmoil, and the Summit meeting — an assembly of all the great leaders in the land — is just two months away. At the same time, Crescent City has yet another problem: The Horn, a legendary item sacred to the Fae, has gone missing, and there are whispers that the ancient tool may still be able to work its once commanding magic. Between the horrific murders, the missing relic and the many powerful beings gathering in Crescent City, the future has never been more uncertain.
HIGH FANTASY MEETS CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
Sarah J. Maas is no stranger to the literary world, thanks to her two previous young adult series Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses. In her new fantasy novel, House of Earth and Blood (Bloomsbury Publishing), Maas masterfully works folklore and mythology into her writing. From the sprawling land of Valbara to the bustling metropolis of Crescent City, society is divided into different ranks, known as Houses, depending on the citizen’s type of magic. Werewolves clash with the Fae, humans squabble with shapeshifters and Archangels reign over all. But as Bryce and Hunt dive deeper into their investigation, they soon realize that these crimes transcend the rigid structure of Lunathion, and may prove a threat to every being in the land, no matter how extraordinary their magic.
Maas breathes fresh air into her fantasy novel by creating a contemporary society with dashes of magic. Werewolves wear business suits, Sphinxes are kept as house pets, and all-powerful beings communicate via video chat. Just as she blends magic and modernity, Maas also blends genres. While Bryce and Hunt’s mission begins as a murder investigation, it soon develops into a case of political intrigue. House of Earth and Blood is a high fantasy story with elements of a crime novel and, as usual for Maas, a healthy dose of romance.
The story is complex and layered, with narrative threads that weave all the way from the opening scene to the final chapter. Readers will find themselves hooked by the numerous characters, their individual stories, and the complex web Maas creates to tie them all together. In the end, House of Earth and Blood is a riveting beginning to Sarah J. Maas’s new series Crescent City, and one that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat to the very last plot twist.
For more on Sarah J. Maas, please visit her website.
About Sarah J. Maas:
Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.
